eReader Price Wars Heat Up
The battle between eReaders got heated on Monday as Barnes & Noble and Amazon slashed the prices for the Nook and Kindle respectively. The first shot across the bow came from Barnes & Noble, which announced that the price of the 3G Nook would be trimmed down to $199, and that a new WiFi-only version of the eReader would be available for just $149. Amazon fired back later in the day when it cut the price of the Kindle to $189. All versions of the Kindle have 3G capabilities built-in, and this new low price slyly undercuts the 3G Nook by $10. Amazon’s press release also emphasized the more than 600,000 titles in the Kindle Store, which has a larger selection of books, including New York Times Bestsellers, than either the Nook or the iPad.
Not to be out done, Borders issued a press release yesterday announcing that their $149.99 Kobo eReader “will now be bundled with a $20 Borders gift card, and double Borders Bucks that can be used towards a future Borders purchase.” A free Borders app for iPhones and iPads was also announced. To promote the release of the app, Borders is offering a free cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee from their cafes when customers show the Borders app on their mobile devices. (The Kobo bundle and the free coffee offers are only available for a limited time.) All this price-cutting raises the question: will there soon be a $99 eReader? MG Siegler of TechCrunch expects this price point to be reached within the next year.
I just ordered the Nook -WiFi only version- for $149.00 ($162.78 with tax) last Friday 6/25/10 at a Barnes/Noble Store near where I live. I can’t wait to use it. I should receive it tomorrow through UPS. I couldn’t resist the sales pitch. As P.T. Barnum use to say, “there is a sucker born everyday.”
Well at least it is $400.00 less than an I-PAD!!!! My brother bought one, and he LOVES it. For more than 5 Benjis, he better love it.
I’ll comment on the Nook soon in this blog after I start using it. I plan to give an objective review of the new product.
Congrats on getting the WiFi Nook! Hope you enjoy the eReader. Love to have you review the Nook for In the Stax! Can’t wait to hear what you think.
Hmmm. Maybe I should buy a Kindle. Just for scientific purposes…
A few weeks ago, finally, the arrival of my iPad,
With all the things you can do on it, I think it’s just rad,
No, I don’t think even with all the flak and fuss, it’s just a fad,
Just looking at its rivals, all I can say is eee Gad!
But, honestly, me buying a Sony reader, Kindle, or Nook?
Do you really think I’m such a shnook?!
—Russ I.
@Russ I.
Great Poem!! I have to agree that the iPad is an amazing device and is so much more than an eReader. Though, I do enjoy reading books on it, too. I would love to hear how Nook and Kindle owners feel about their usability and performance.